Our mission is to open up the world of communication to people with hearing loss by providing education, information, support and advocacy.
Request ASR Captions for your Zoom Account.
Zoom just announced it will provide its high-quality ASR captions (Live Transcript) FREE for people with hearing loss. Click here to request access. This feature will be rolled out to all free Zoom accounts by Fall 2021. Read announcement.
Click on this link to join the 3rd Birthday Celebration:
https://meet.google.com/hon-jtjc-dpr May 1 10 am
Streamtext: www.streamtext.net/player?event=HLAA
In addition to Virtual Meetings we will have informal open virtual chat meetings each Saturday morning, 10 am to noon until we do not have social distancing restrictions in place. Next informal chat meeting is April 17th.
Meeting & Informal Chat LINK is:
https://meet.google.com/hon-jtjc-dpr (Phone Number to call in (570) 500-5073 use PIN: 771 105 468#)
Our next regular meeting is Sat May 1st 2021 at 10 am. (Meeting schedule below)
Please join us!
We are a NEW local Chapter.
Our Newsletter is just one of the benefits of joining our Chapter. Spring 2021 edition Link.
Seminars, advocacy for the Hard of Hearing community, social events, support & volunteer opportunities
you are never alone in your hearing loss- 48 million people in U.S. have it
meet a new friend
learn technology for hearing loss
Contact us: info@HLAA-Indianapolis.org
HLAA-Indianapolis is an affiliate of HLAA National. Please visit www.hearingloss.org for the National webpage.
Our mission is to open up the world of communication to people with hearing loss by providing education, information, support and advocacy.
We believe sharing our hearing loss journeys through socialization, advocacy, information, and education is important for hearing health. Our organization is a nonprofit 501(c)3 organization offering support to all ages who have hearing loss.
There are over 48 million people in the United States who have hearing loss. Today one in five people have hearing loss. The National Hearing Loss Association of America has existed for over 30 years helping people learn how to best cope. It used to be called the Self Help Hard of Hearing (SHHH) organization when it started. In addition, through our advocacy efforts, affiliates located in all 50 states we have made monumental changes in recent years through legislation and policy on behalf of those with hearing loss.
Come learn more about us and meet new friends who have hearing loss. All our meetings are VIRTUAL with cc throughout 2020.
We also offer volunteer opportunities to serve the community. If you are interested, please contact us.
Our Chapter President, Teresa Gonzalez, would like to share this exciting news:
Our chapter is honored to be the recipient of the 2020 HLAA Up and Coming Chapter Award! The award will be presented at the HLAA 2021 Convention in San Diego at the Awards Ceremony and Reception.
The Up and Coming Chapter Award is presented to a new chapter (under 2 years old), which most effectively delivers the HLAA mission for its members and the community. This award recognizes chapters for their overall programs that have opened the world of communication for local people with hearing loss through information, education, support and advocacy.
HLAA – Indianapolis Chapter Meetings for 2021
All virtual meetings are on 1st Saturdays of the month.
We have VIRTUAL Meetings during the Social Isolation period extending through 2021.
Virtual Meeting link is: https://meet.google.com/hon-jtjc-dpr
Meetings are from 10:00 am to noon with the Speaker at 10:30am.
Virtual Meetings HAVE CART CLOSED CAPTIONS for the Speaker section.
During 2021 informal, social chat meetings will be held Virtually every Saturday morning, 10am to Noon for all Saturdays of the month except the 1st.
Friends, guests and members are welcome to join in this chat. Just click the link on the day to join.
Next informal chat meeting is Sat April 17th, 10 am.
Link for ALL meetings is: https://meet.google.com/hon-jtjc-dpr
(Phone Number to call in is (570) 500-5073, PIN: 771 105 468#)
Copy this into any browser to join the meeting.
Our next regular meeting is Sat May 1st 2021 at 10 am.
We are very excited to have a special guest, Gael Hannon joining us! She is an author, actor, humorist, blog writer, and a huge National HLAA Advocate. She will be sharing her insights, fun and engaging thoughts on hearing loss and the world we live in. You don't want to miss this! (Speaker starts at 10:30 am)
In addition to automatic captioning, CART transcription for meetings is provided by Susan Dezelan.
Paste www.streamtext.net/player?event=HLAA into any browser to read live CART captioning of meeting.
Our meetings are advertised online in Eventbrite.com info and Nextdoor info. Take a look.
After the pandemic all meetings will be held at Irvington Public Library.
Meetings continue to be held VIRTUALLY.
Schedule content may be subject to change.
ANYONE CAN JUST JOIN OUR VIRTUAL MEETINGS.
YOU ARE ALL MOST WELCOME.
2021 Meeting Schedule
HLAA-IN Chapter 2021 Mtg Schedule (1).docxMeeting Location after social distancing ceases:
Irvington Public Library: 5625 East Washington St Indianapolis 46219
Irvington Public Library
More about us:
Our Chapter was well represented at the "Listening & Spoken Language" conference in Indianapolis Feb 22, 2020.
Our meetings are a place where you can feel comfortable with others who have hearing loss too.
You are never alone!
Regular meetings are held with live captioning displayed on an overhead screen for members to follow.
(Virtual meetings are held during the pandemic-details in calendar )
Thank you to our Remote CART* provider, Susan Wollenweber Dezelan, who kindly does our meeting captions, gratis.
*CART stands for Communication Access Realtime Translation. CART is a service in which a certified CART provider listens to speech and instantaneously translates all the speech to text.
Meetings also have a StreamText link to provide live captioning during a meeting in order for anyone to follow via their device. (smartphone/computer/iPad etc.)
Chapter Member, Kat Imhausen (aka Mrs Claus) has stories for children with some sign language. LINK. Happiness is Signing.
HLAA-Indy Seeks $ for Transparent Face Masks
During this time of Coronavirus, face masks are becoming the norm; however, a face mask can be a communication barrier. Let’s open the world of communication to people with hearing loss (deaf and hard of hearing people make up about 15 percent of the population), people who communicate non-verbally, and others who also rely on seeing lip/tongue/jaw movements for speech understanding. With the growing use of masks in medical facilities and greater society let’s not leave those who rely on facial expression out of the communication loop and possibly at risk. Transparent masks will help facilitate effective communication.
Please join us in making a difference. Money raised will go towards purchasing material, shipping, and handling. Any extra will go toward Hospital Kits for people with hearing loss and other activities that improve communication access.
Any donation will help make a positive impact. We appreciate your generosity! Donate now.
Please Help Us Reach Our Goal.
Other ways to support this Chapter:
Add HLAA-Indianapolis Chapter as your charity of choice to your Amazon account and help us achieve our mission with every Amazon purchase.
How do I select us a charitable organization to support when shopping on AmazonSmile?
On your first visit to smile.amazon.com, you need to select a charitable organization to receive donations from eligible purchases before you begin shopping. We will remember your selection, and then every eligible purchase you make through AmazonSmile will result in a donation.
Can I change my charity?
Yes, you can change your charity any time. To change your charity on your web browser, simply select "Change your Charity" in "Your Account." You can also visit AmazonSmile under settings on your Amazon Shopping app and select "Change your Charity."
Our charity is listed by the full name and use that as the Search term:
Hearing Loss Association of America Inc Indianapolis
Nominate us as your favorite charity when using ebay. You can donate any percentage you chose of any of your ebay sales/purchases to go to us. Click on the logo above.
Thank You For Your Support!
Thank you Susan Dezelan and to Caption First's Kathy Cortopassi, for being our Remote CART providers. We are most grateful for the donation of your time and skill.
Free Equipment Lending Library LINK
Donate your old Hearing Aids.
Hearing Aid Donation Center.pdfDonate your old hearing aid (link to above form) when you attend our chapter meetings. We are a donation center for hearing Charities of America. www.HearingAidDonations.org All donations are tax deductible and you will receive a letter of acknowledgement.
HLAA membership is complimentary for Veterans
As we observe Veterans Day this year, we would like to extend a heartfelt “thank you” to all of the men an women who currently serve or have served our country.
Veterans Across America Virtual Chapter
HLAA has a virtual chapter, specifically for Veteran members (and caregivers)! Members of this online chapter can log-in remotely, collaborate with others on projects, join discussions, delegate tasks, and more. You can find out more about the new HLAA Veterans Across America Virtual Chapter on the Veteranspage. If you are interested in joining the virtual chapter, please email chapters@hearingloss.org.
Surveys – Your Input is Valuable
Please sign the petition to support free auto captions on video conferencing platforms for people with hearing loss.
As a result of your advocacy in signing this petition, Zoom just announced (Feb 24 2021) it will provide its high-quality ASR captions (Live Transcript) FREE for people with hearing loss. Click here to request access. This feature will be rolled out to all free Zoom accounts by Fall 2021.
Survey about Mask Performance
In order to keep product comments separate, we decided to do separate surveys for each type of shield and mask.
Which face shield or mask with clear window do you use? Click on the corresponding link below to leave us your thoughts! You may answer more than once if you have multiple products.